Sorry for the delay, but Merry Christmas and whatnot.
I've been busy with school and whatnot. Watching Highschool of the Dead, Durarara!, reading manga.. And trying REALLY HARD. TO . GET RID OF. CRAP. ON MY . COMPUTER! (punches stupid machine)
Why are you so junky?
And I accidentally deleted ALL of my favorited pages! All the manga pages that I stopped on, all the articles from , all the anime girls and guys, all the webpages on child abuse and all the cool wikipedia pages and topics.. all the cute pics of bento lunches in the shape of pokeballs and pokemonz!
ALL GONE D:
But anyways... enough of that.
Here is Chapter 10 of Mommy, Send Me an Angel.. Enjoy... :I
"A clean Miko is a happy Miko, yeah! Alright, outta the tub!"
After enveloping the scrawny little girl in a thick, fluffy towel, the blond pony-tailed ninja scooped her into his arms and flicked the bathroom lights off with a pruny finger.
He set her on the bed, and while he searched for her footie pajamas, Miko crawled to her new stuffed animal friend, The Bear, which lay on a pillow taking a nap.
"Hey kid.. I can see your bum, yeah.."
Miko whipped around to see him staring at her with an amused look on his face and a smirk to match. Indeed, she was technically naked. The towel had slipped off while she was meandering to The Bear. Quickly, she wrapped the slipped-off towel around her person, turning a very deep shade of red as she held The Bear against her damp chest.
"Hehe..too funny..Let the bear go, or he'll get wet, and I don't think I need two babies to dry, un...!"
The Bear was not a baby. The Bear was The Bear. But Miko only thought this in her head.
Reluctantly, she set the bear down so it sat next to her on the edge of the bed. Deidara smiled.
"Like two peas in a pod...Now let's put your diaper and jammies on..."
"Baby girl...?"
Miko raised her head from his chest. This whole time she had been breathing in his musky scent. She loved his smell.. It made her head so heavy and calm...She wondered if his skin tasted as good as it smelled—
He laid a gentle hand upon her damp, clean head. "Listen to me, please..I need you to focus for me, okay? This is very important..."
She sat up and nodded, ready to try her best for him. She'll listen as hard as she possibly could for him. Make him as proud as she could. Never for one minute regret whisking her away from that hell hole.
Deidara sighed. Not going to be hard to explain it, but things were going to change around here. At least for awhile. How smoothly the transitions would turn out all depended on her coping skills.
He brushed some hair behind her ear. Miko leaned into the palm of his warm hand.
"I'm going away for awhile, un...And of course I can't take you, because you could get hurt and it's the rules..."
This was not news to Miko; he always went away and left her. But he gave her a hug, a pat on the head, a diaper change, something to snack on, and a promise to return. So far he had never broken that routine, or that promise.
Seeing she understood –incorrectly-, he clarified himself. "No...it's longer..much longer than before...Almost a week...and...you probably don't know how long a week is.. But it's much longer than before now...I won't be here to give you more food or change you or pop in to see how you're doing or be back in time for bed..."
Why must you leave, then? Who will take care of me?
"But don't worry...I've asked a favor of someone who will make sure to check on you every once in awhile when I'm gone, un. I think you'll like her, yeah."
What...? Someone else to take care of me? No... No, no one else must know. Only you... Please don't go...
She buried her head into his shoulder and began to cry bitter tears. Miko had never been clingy per se, she had always made sure to give him his space and to never get in the way of his plans; but this time, she would not let him leave. He was going to stay here, in this spot, and they were going to read stories and talk and hug and smile and sleep and and and and-
"Miko calm down.. Miko.. breathe.. Miko, breathe! It's alright, baby, it's gonna be alright... I'll be back, I promise.. I promise... I promise... shh shh shh..."
He held the hysterical child close, preventing her from thrashing and whipping herself up into a bigger frenzy of confusion. Practically smothering her in his chest, wincing at the muffled moans that reached his ears.
"I'm sorry.. just.. calm down okay?"
The panicked child eventually calmed down; after awhile lifted her head up to look into his face with red-rimmed eyes and a drippy nose.
"I'm sorry baby...I'm sorry.." he stroked her hair...But she was already convinced that there was no changing the plans. He would have to leave and she would not see him for quite some time.
"Why don't we lie down for awhile, hm? Let's take a little nap and calm down some more, okay? Come on now, lay your heady down..that's it...good girl, un..."
As Deidara turned off the lamp (it was on even though it was early evening. For her sake.), Miko reluctantly rested her forehead against a pillow and took deep breaths to calm herself down even further... just as he had requested. Even when upset, she would try her best to follow his orders. Because if she didn't, then it would be ungrateful. Terribly ungrateful. For everything he has done for her and put up with.
He rubbed her back. Soft and gentle. Rested himself on his elbow as he loomed over his little charge. There you go. Please don't be upset. I don't want you to be sad. I know it's hard but.. we just can't help these things, can we? No we can't. It doesn't seem fair, but... Unfairness is a part of life. But I bet you understand that more than I do..Yeah...
And he lay with his little baby, curled up next to him as she slipped herself in a -hopefully- comfortable sleep. His arm wrapped around her, a small blanket draped over both their shoulders that didn't even reach his feet, let alone his knees..yet managed to secure her perfectly in its warmth...Lull..lull...lullaby-worthy.. Sleep and slumber.. Happy number..Lumber through pleasant thoughts...
She was so soft, so squishy... babies were squishy and she was squishy so she was a baby. Soft skin, sweet plump cheeks (above and below), and faraway hazel eyes.
If only...
Miko watched solemnly as her master readied himself for his mission.
"Let's see..clay pack, check... Hat, check... scope.. " click click. "in working order.. and all that's left is..." He turned to her.
A kiss on her head. A fleeting one, just a brush of the lips, a formality.
"I'll be back, Miko, I promise, yeah." He cupped her cheek in one large hand. One warm, gentle hand. She wouldn't cry. Wouldn't dare. It would be more burdensome for him.
Miko gripped his hand, holding it to her face. Remember this. Remember. Come back and remember me...
"Shh...it's okay, baby...Sweetie baby...shhh..."
"Mnnn..." The tears were falling. She told herself she wouldn't cry!
"Miko, stop hitting yourself! Miko!..Stop it right now, un!"
Her hands hurt. He was gripping them so hard that Miko thought they would be crushed by the sheer pressure.
Let go, it hurts. I'm sorry..it hurts!
"Nhaa! Nhaaa...!" Deidara immediately released her.
"I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..." Miko nodded, but did not understand for the child's head was blocking out noise and was focusing on the pain he had administered to her.
She kissed her hands, held each one in the other red hand for a time, trying very hard not to burst into tears again. Not twice in the same day, with him not even out of the room yet!
"Miko, I—"
A knock on the door interrupted the sentence Deidara was attempting to form. He didn't even have anything concrete to offer past those two words. So, this distraction was a mixed blessing.
He sighed, gave the kid a sympathetic look before slowly making his way to the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming. In a second, un."
Miko looked up. Who could be outside the room? What exactly was outside this room? Were there others living here? Others who were as nice as Deidara? As nice as Mommy? Mean as Daddy? Meaner?
The door opened halfway, but she couldn't see who was on the other side; Deidara's form blocked the mysterious person from view.
"Konan, yeah. I was just about to leave."
"I thought so." Whose voice was that? It was so light and soft... She wanted to see this person. Very badly.
"So that we're all clear: You're doing this as a favor for me?"
"That is correct."
"Thank you so much, I owe you one. I don't know what, but I'll make it up to you, un."
"Just promise me that you will stay loyal to this organization's cause. We need the great manpower that you supply for us, Deidara."
"Aah, don't try to butter me up...hehe...Yeah, whatever you say. I ain't going anywhere, yeah."
"Where is the child you want me to look after while you are away?"
"She's right there..."
Miko suddenly realized in her staring daze that there were two sets of eyes on her. She focused and saw that Deidara and a stranger were the culprits.
He was already done up in his attire, his mouth hidden, his eyes nearly the same by his large hat. An arm leaned against he door frame, but she could see the lower body and the eyes of the alien about to set foot in their domain.
Black cloak with clouds, like his... Do all people outside Daddy's home wear this? Blue hair, clean like her own, but short, unlike her own. Beautiful face.
"Come in and meet her, you might as well now, un.."
"Very well.."
And as she crossed into the threshold, Miko realized that this stranger was real. This was real. A new person. She was meeting a new person. A new person that was going to take care of her while Deidara was gone.
"Hm..." Standing right before her was her future caretaker.
Her eyes were studying Miko. Sharp, golden brown eyes. She felt so small and worthless. Did the lady like what she see? Did she hate her already? She didn't know what to do..
She didn't even notice that Deidara had casually sidled up and knelt next to her on the floor until his breath was tickling her little ear.
"Miko.." he murmured, "this is Konan." Then he said, a little louder so the woman could hear, "Konan, this is Miko, yeah."
The woman named Konan nodded once. Her face was blank. What was she feeling? Miko couldn't tell, and that scared her very much. Like? Dislike? Happy? Sad? Angry?
She felt his lips press against her temple. Two kisses in one day. A new record, perhaps. Miko really didn't know, she didn't keep track of those kinds of things.
And still she stared while this was happening, eyes never wavering from her face, only flicking for a fraction of a second to Deidara before refocusing on the child.
"Well, I must be off... But before I do, there's some things you need to know about her...She's kinda got special needs, un."
"'Special needs'? Do tell.."
"Well first off...—"
And Miko zoned out after that. She was still studying the woman. The Konan woman. What would she be like? She doubted she would act like Deidara. She gave nothing away to her personality, and that frightened her. The unknown. What will be in the days they will have to spend together. Or will she not honor the request and simply leave her all alone in this room, waiting silently for Deidara's return?
Deidara finished his rundown on Miko's likes and dislikes (there were plenty of the latter), preferences on food (soft things that required little to no chewing), and diapers (two to three times a day). He strode over to the door, and just as his wrist was about to twist the door knob, Konan spoke up.
"Deidara... I won't say a thing to Leader about this..arrangement...but don't let any attachment or particular fondness of this child interfere with the results of your missions and your overall competence."
Deidara's eyes darkened beneath the shade of his hat, but then he smiled to himself. An almost sad smile. A knowing smile.
"I know that." he said, loud enough for the only female Akatsuki member to hear, but soft enough that the words were meant for her ears only. "...She's a nice distraction to have. She's a stray I picked up, a little plaything that takes the edge off when the adrenaline begins making my head feel too dizzy. She will not get in the way with the tasks I've been given. Make no mistake."
"And besides-" he turned to look behind her shoulder at the "pet" he had in his possession. Konan turned as well. Miko was holding her teddy bear now, anxiously squeezing it while looking at her socked feet that were kicking lightly against the edge of the bed. She looked adorable and unassuming when she did that. A shy baby was a cute baby.
"-she makes me feel human, you know, un?"
"I do..actually."
"Goodbye Miko...I'll be back.."
He was already almost closing the door on her. She snapped to attention. Less than a second to say goodbye back.
"Nahaaa!"
Stupid idiot. Your -possibly- last chance to say something intelligent and it backfired!
But he chuckled. "Yeah, you too.."
And then the only exit was sealed shut.
I'm sorry, it's not very good! I apologize but I might as well post this up here and get rid of it and MOVE ON to another time and day of this story.
Yeah, I'm slipping with my writing skills, I also apologize for that. Instead of super great, it's levelling to "pretty good" ... Merf... I feel sad ..
I need to work on transitioning and details.. and don't agree because I don't need the truth rubbed in my face...
But read.. and review... I want to get this to 130 reviews for this chapter X.X
The 124 reviews (as this is being typed and submitted) is driving me crazy!